Differing Associations of the Forest Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter (1850) is set in 17th century puritan Boston. Puritans are very strict when concerning religious matters and try to live a life absent of sin. They believe that anyone who stray from the normal puritan way, like not going church, of life is or in the process of becoming a minion of the devil. Throughout the novel the author perceives the forest as the home of sin and where witches and Native Americans meet with the black
The forest in The Scarlet Letter symbolizes evil and impurity. In the forest Pearl asks her mother to tell a story about the Devil: “How he haunts this forest, and carries a book with him, —a big, heavy book, with iron clasps; and how this ugly Black Man offers his book and an iron pen to every body that meets him here among the trees; and they are to write their names with their own blood. And then he sets his mark on their bosoms! Didst thou ever meet the Black Man, mother?” (Hawthorne 181). This
The scarlet letter, given to Hester Prynne as an eternal condemnation for committing adultery, is symbolic of change. While it initially symbolizes sin, the scarlet letter ultimately symbolizes the change and development in Hester over the course of the book physically and in the way that she is seen by society as she experiences cruelty from the people surrounding her. An, “ignominious letter on her breast,” the scarlet letter is initially seen as a horrible sin (41). Hester was a fine and polished
Puritan Beliefs in the Scarlet Letter Puritanism was a religious restructuring movement that results from within the Church of England in the late sixteenth century. The Puritans believed that God had formed a unique solemn agreement with them. They believe that God expected them to live according to the sacred writings. The Scarlet Letter introduces a critical, even sneering view of Puritanism. Nathaniel illustrates Puritan society as dowdy, merciless, unforgiving, and narrow-minded that unduly
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, symbols provide meaning to all things such as characters actions and words. In the novel, we follow the three main characters, Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth, who are struggling the battle of sin and the consequences and struggles that come about. The symbols in the book are really useful to understanding the underlying themes of the text. Throughout the book, we track the symbols of, nature and the black man, Dimmsindales mark and scarlet letter
Symbolism within The Scarlet Letter Within the first few chapters of The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne places emphasis on various blurbs of definitive imagery. The reader is informed on the main character, Hester Prynne, and the moral predicament she is in while facing a crowd of angry yet curious townspeople. But some of this imagery isn’t displayed just for the mere purpose of providing description. Hawthorne also relies on symbolism that, when repetitively used within the text, offers a second layer
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a novel about adultery. The main character, Hester has an affair with Reverend Dimmesdale who doesn’t know that his physician, Chillingworth is actually Hester's husband. Hester also has a daughter, Pearl that is extremely smart and understands that something’s wrong with Dimmesdale when he clutches his heart. There are several important themes that vary from negative to positive that are discussed in the Scarlet Letter. The book focuses mostly on the
Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter “A true symbol is substantial, not accidental. You cannot avoid it; you cannot remove it.” - Saul Bellow, Nobel Prize winner in Literature. Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter, does an excellent job of using symbolism to clarify serious ideas in his novel. An example of Hawthorne’s use of symbolism would be his placement of sunshine, which symbolizes happiness, throughout the novel. By strategically placing this throughout the novel, readers can
Nguyen 10/3/15 Arr. 2 The symbolism of the letter A The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne included many deep and important symbols. The significant of symbolism was portrayed excellent in the novel, especially through the letter “A”. In the beginning, the Scarlet Letter was viewed as the symbol of sin. As the story goes on, the letter “A” was thought as a strong and good symbol and for some people, it also represents guilt. The Scarlet Letter is the best and most important symbol in this
The Scarlet Letter Essay The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is an intriguing novel that uses romanticism and symbolism to depict a natural setting throughout the book in various ways. Also, the novel’s many representations create a specific theme in the novel, which is man and the natural world. Additionally, The Scarlet Letter uses romanticism as a way of describing sin. Romanticism is a literary movement of the late 1700’s which poets created an effect of individualism, an emotional ecstasy